Applying Andragogical Principles to Internet Learning By Susan I ...

Chapter Two

Background

Many adult educators and theorists have written about andragogy, the art and science of adult learning. Internet learning is a much newer concept than andragogy and many topics related to it have been explored in the literature. However, few researchers have examined the integration of the two. To study the application of andragogy principles to Internet learning, several topics will be explored in the literature. There is a sequential order to the topics, each building on the previous one to build a scaffold of logic, upon which suggestions for a protocol are based. The topics reviewed move from general to specific as follows: principles of adult learning, technology of adult learning, issues with face-to-face teaching / learning, issues without face-to-face teaching / learning, whole-mind learning, the four pillars of learning, the role of creativity in innovation, Internet learning, and making the connection between Internet learning and andragogy.

Principles of Adult Learning

Educators of adults have described the uniqueness of adult learners since Kapp first used the term “andragogy.”